| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 58.54 |
| Liaison | Jay Price |
| Submission Date | March 2, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Tennessee at Knoxville
OP-22: Waste Minimization
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.34 / 5.00 |
Preston
Jacobsen Sustainability Manager Facilities Services |
Waste generated::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 1,852.23 Tons | 984.57 Tons |
| Materials composted | 1,142.90 Tons | 96.50 Tons |
| Materials reused, donated or re-sold | 28.67 Tons | 6.12 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 8,931.04 Tons | 11,995.25 Tons |
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of residential students | 7,213 | 6,817 |
| Number of residential employees | 0 | 0 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 581 | 0 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 25,263.60 | 24,672 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 7,333 | 8,874 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 673 | 0 |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | July 1, 2014 | June 30, 2015 |
| Baseline Year | July 1, 2007 | June 30, 2008 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
A brief description of any (non-food) waste audits employed by the institution:
Non-food waste audits are preformed intermittently by the Recycling Office to measure current amounts of waste generated and inform future programs and policies.
A brief description of any institutional procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
A brief description of any surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
The UTK Surplus Department collects all surplus materials from around campus and sells it at auctions to the public. https://www.auction.utk.edu/xcAuction.asp
A brief description of the institution's efforts to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
The course catalog is available primarily online, though students can get hard copies by visiting the admissions office and requesting one.
A brief description of any limits on paper and ink consumption employed by the institution:
Students must pay for all printing done on campus.
A brief description of any programs employed by the institution to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
In the spring of 2014 the Office of Sustainability and Recycling Office collected student donations and waste generated during move-out. It was sorted through by student workers and volunteers, stored by the Recycling Office over the summer, and then resold at a yard sale organized by the Office of Sustainability in the fall of 2015. The proceeds of the yard sale went to fund sustainability internships. Additionally, the Recycling Office has several workers and volunteers working every move-in and move-out weekend to ensure that cardboard and other recyclables are properly disposed of.
A brief description of any other (non-food) waste minimization strategies employed by the institution:
Volunteers and members of the Recycling team pass out recycling bags to tailgaters before football games that are later picked up to be recycled. While they pass these bags out, they try to engage and educate the community about recycling and divert many tons of recyclables from the landfill.
A brief description of any food waste audits employed by the institution:
UT requires food waste to be weighed; these weights are then used by the composting coordinator to inform future programs and policies.
A brief description of any programs and/or practices to track and reduce pre-consumer food waste in the form of kitchen food waste, prep waste and spoilage:
Pre-consumer compost is collected by the Recycling Office at all dining hall locations across campus and then brought to the composting site to be processed and used as a soil amendment at the UT Organic Farm.
A brief description of programs and/or practices to track and reduce post-consumer food waste:
Post-consumer waste on campus is collected in the form of paper towels from many administrative and academic buildings, food scraps from select offices, and coffee grounds and food scraps from some franchises on campus, including Starbucks, Panda Express, Raising Cane's.
A brief description of the institution's provision of reusable and/or third party certified compostable to-go containers for to-go food and beverage items (in conjunction with a composting program):
Compostable to-go cups are available for use in several dining locations across campus.
A brief description of the institution's provision of reusable service ware for “dine in” meals and reusable and/or third party certified compostable service ware for to-go meals (in conjunction with a composting program):
All UTK dining locations offer reusable service ware for "dine in" meals. Additionally, any outdoor dining event catered by UT Dining Services uses exclusively compostable cornstarch-based flatware and dishware.
A brief description of any discounts offered to customers who use reusable containers (e.g. mugs) instead of disposable or compostable containers in to-go food service operations:
Under the Mug Project, at all on-campus chain stores excluding two, customers receive their fountain drink or drip coffee for the price of a small if they bring a reusable cup. They can also receive 15% off on specialty drinks by using a reusable cup.
A brief description of other dining services waste minimization programs and initiatives:
The Food Recovery Network is a student run initiative that works to collect left over food from dining locations across campus to donate to local soup kitchens and food pantries. Additionally, UT dining locations use reusable condiment containers and capture used cooking oils to convert into bio-diesel for use in UT biodiesel vehicles.
The website URL where information about the institution’s waste minimization initiatives is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.